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Fare Collection System Upgrade Consultant
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DESCRIPTION: To award a professional services contract to provide technical advice for the assessment and upgrade of the agency’s fare collection system. |
AGENDA NO: Click or tap here to enter text. |
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ACTION REQUEST: ☒ Approval ☐ Review Comment ☐ Information Only ☐ Other |
RECOMMENDATION:
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To authorize the Chief Executive Officer to enter a two-year contract with Four Nines Technologies to provide technical advice on the assessment of RTA’s existing fare collection system; guide the design and procurement of a new system; and provide on-call vendor support during the implementation of upgraded elements. The contract will have a not-to-exceed amount of $500,000.
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ISSUE/BACKGROUND:
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The RTA has identified a need to upgrade elements of its fare collection system in pursuit of its goal to provide a world-class rider experience and more efficient service delivery. To that end, the RTA has secured grant funding to complete a fare study and to modernize elements of its fare collection system. A consultant will bring knowledge of industry trends and technical expertise in designing and implementing upgraded fare collection systems and allow RTA to make optimal use of its designated funding.
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DISCUSSION:
RTA sought responses from experienced and qualified consulting firms to help undertake a four-phase project over an expected two-year timeline.
Phase 1 - Initialization asks the consultant (1) to assess the current state of RTA’s fare collection and reporting and deliver a report, (2) to draft a review of the current state of the practice at transit agencies around the country, and (3) to review the agency’s in-progress Coordinated Fare Modernization Initiative (CFMI) and propose any additional programmed activities.
Phase 2 - Project Planning asks the consultant (1) to design a complete Concept of Operations document for an upgrade fare system based on the findings in Phase 1, describing the necessary human, material, and financial resources required to support a coherent flow of data and fare revenue through agency operations. It also asks the selected consultant (2) to propose Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for an upgraded system and (3) to compose a high-level project plan to guide the timing of procurement and installation of new fare system elements while minimizing disruptions to the rider experience and service delivery.
Phase 3 - Procurement Support asks the selected consultant (1) to help agency staff develop technical specifications and scopes of work to procure new fare system elements, (2) to inform the development of new evaluation criteria, and (3) to provide support in evaluating the firms and products submitted to agency requests for proposals.
Phase 4 - Implementation Support asks the consultant to provide on-call technical support and handle vendor interfacing during the period of product delivery, installation, and validation of an upgraded fare collection system.
Based on the responding firms, Four Nines Technologies was found to have relevant experience, understanding of the RTA’s needs, and the best described approach to the project.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
$136,588 is available for this project through Grant # LA2219-013 and $363,412 is available from RAISE FY21 to cover costs not to exceed $500,000.
The proposal suggests a not-to-exceed amount of $132,500 for Task Order 1 (which includes Phases 1 and 2) and a not-to-exceed amount of $222,000 for Task Order 2 (which includes Phases 3 and 4). The total not-to-exceed for the project is estimated at a total of $354,500.
This amount is within the estimated project budget and independent cost estimate of approximately $800,000. A total project not-to-exceed amount of $500,000 makes available contingency funds without affecting the overall project budget.
NEXT STEPS:
Upon RTA Board approval, staff will enter into an agreement for both Task Orders with Four Nines Technologies.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution
2. Procurement Summary-RFP 2025-010
3. Scope of Work
4. Four Nines Technologies - Proposal RFP 2025-010
Prepared By: Jack Duffy
Title: Manager, Fare Policy & Systems
Reviewed By: Gizelle Banks
Title: Chief Financial Officer
6/9/2025
Lona Edwards Hankins Date
Chief Executive Officer